Blood is in liquid form when traveling undisturbed in bodily passageways. However, an injury may cause rapid clotting of the blood at the site of the injury to initially stop the bleeding, and thereafter, to help in the healing process. An accurate measurement of the ability of a patient's blood to coagulate in a timely and effective fashion and subsequently to lyse is crucial to certain surgical and medical procedures. Also, accurate detection of abnormal hemostasis is of particular importance with respect to appropriate treatment to be given to patients suffering from clotting disorders.
Blood hemostasis is a result of highly complex biochemical processes that transform the blood from a liquid state to a solid state. Characteristics of blood, such as strength of the clot, infer that the mechanical properties of the blood are important in determining characteristics rather than the viscosity of the blood when in a liquid state.